NFL coaches want high-intensity practices. Sometimes that intensity boils over into unwanted outbursts.
But even for professional football players, the rate of fistfighting among NFL training camps has raised eyebrows and drawn plenty of unwanted attention. The New York Jets' scuffle that saw IK Enemkpali break Geno Smith's jaw is the most famous fight, and the one with the most serious results, but it's hardly the only outbreak -- or even the first in this year's training camp.
Before Smith and Enemkpali, Cam Newton got into a fight at Panthers' training camp -- one that didn't cause any injuries, fortunately.
But training camp fights have seemed to pick up since teams began organizing practice sessions with other franchises. Amid the excitement that he seems likely to make a regular-season roster, Philadelphia quarterback Tim Tebow also allegedly pulled apart players from both the Eagles and Ravens who started fighting during a workout.
More recently, the St. Louis Rams and Dallas Cowboys had members of their team brawl during an organized inter-squad practice. Before them, the Texans and Redskins fought.
It's now a surprise when a team hasn't made unglamorous headlines for their bad behavior in practice.
There are factors that can make training camp particularly ripe for fighting. As players compete to make rosters and earn playing time, competition is high. Players are working out in high heats and getting into football shape.
In some cases, such as the conflict between Smith and Enemkpali, drama from the long offseason can spill over into the workplace. And then some players simply value a little fight, thinking it shows team toughness and grit.
But there's a different between occasional frustration boiling over and today's state of the NFL, where fights are starting to seem commonplace. Whether coaches are struggling to lead their players, or whether players simply don't care about the consequences of fighting -- if any are applied -- is tough to say.
It's been a year since the NFL was rocked by domestic violence scandals headlined by Ray Rice. Twelve months later, the league's violence issue seems alive and well.
Best, Worst NFL Team Arrest Rates
WORST: MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Adrian Peterson is the poster-child, but the Vikings have a genuinely systemic problem: Their 32 arrests in the past 10 years are tied for the league lead. As fans grow impatient with illegal activity among players, franchises like Minnesota's may feel the heat for their role.
WORST: DENVER BRONCOS
Tied with the Vikings is the Denver Broncos, which has had as many arrests since 2005 as the NFL has teams. Despite the well-known locker room presences of Tim Tebow and then Peyton Manning, Broncos players have a knack for finding trouble.
WORST: CINCINNATI BENGALS
With their recent streak of playoff appearances, you can't quite call them the Bungles. But that string of successes has come amid plenty of off-field problems: Cincinnati's NFL team has had 31 arrests since 2005.
WORST: TENNESSEE TITANS
Pacman Jones may be one of the team's most notorious criminal problems, but he's far from alone. In the past 10 years, a Titans player has been arrested 30 times.
WORST: TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
It's fitting that a franchise that flies a pirate flag at games would be on the lesser end of the player-arrest spectrum. The Bucs have struggled with off-field problems in the last decade, tallying 26 arrests.
BEST: CAROLINA PANTHERS
Carolina is one of three teams with only nine arrests in 10 years. Only five of the NFL's 32 teams have averaged fewer than one arrest per year.
BEST: DALLAS COWBOYS
The Cowboys can't seem to put it all together and make a run at the Super Bowl, but their off-field distractions aren't a major detractor. The franchise has just nine arrests to its name since 2005.
BEST: NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Maybe it's the steady leadership of coach Bill Belichick, who has always had a no-nonsense approach to being a team leader. If so, his system is working: the Patriots have the third-best mark in the league with only nine arrests in the past decade.
BEST: HOUSTON TEXANS
On the downside, rookie head coach Bill O'Brien inherited a team that went 2-14 last season. On the bright side, the locker room hasn't been crawling with bad influences. Houston has had only eight arrests in the past 10 years, the second-best mark in the NFL.
BEST: ARIZONA CARDINALS
That's right: The least criminally offensive NFL team can be found in Arizona. The Cardinals franchise can claim just seven arrests in the past 10 years.
